Trump threatens a big hit' if Tehran does not make deal soon

Donald Trump threatened Iran with new US attacks if Tehran continued to refuse significant concessions needed for a deal to end the Middle East war. He said he had called off a fresh wave of strikes that would have broken a ceasefire in place since early last month. The decision followed a further peace proposal submitted by Tehran via Pakistan, which has mediated. Trump said Iran’s leaders were seeking a deal but warned that an attack would come within days if no agreement was reached. Analysts said both sides want to avoid renewed hostilities but cannot accept the political cost of concessions. Iran continues to block shipping in the Strait of Hormuz while the US maintains a naval blockade on Iranian ports, and Iranian officials reject US demands as excessive.

"Donald Trump has again threatened Iran, saying the US may launch new attacks if Tehran continues to refuse the significant concessions he wants before a deal can be struck to end the Middle East war. The US president said he had called off a fresh wave of strikes, which would have broken the ceasefire in place since early last month. I was an hour away from making the decision to go today, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday."

"The decision apparently followed a further peace proposal submitted by Tehran via Pakistan, which has mediated, and may have been motivated by the reluctance of allies, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, to see hostilities resume. Trump said Iran's leaders were begging to make a deal, but a new US attack would deliver a big hit in the coming days if one was not reached. Well, I mean, I'm saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time, because we can't let them have a new nuclear weapon, he said."

"Analysts say both sides want to avoid a new round of hostilities but neither are willing to pay the political price of the concessions necessary to secure a peace agreement. Trumps' threats have lost all credibility. Both sides are too far apart in terms of what they are willing to accept or work on but neither side want to go back to war. So they are just stuck and neither side really knows how to get out of this, said Neil Quilliam of London's Chatham House."

"Iran continues to block most shipping in the strait of Hormuz, which carried about a fifth of the world's supply of oil and liquid gas before the conflict, while the US has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports. Iranian officials have remained defiant in the face of Trump's new threats, describing US demands as excessive."

Read at www.theguardian.com